Birmingham City's final league position predicted as relegation scrap unfolds

Birmingham City fans can forget any lingering relegation concerns - and would be safe even without rivals’ points deductions.

That’s according to the number crunchers at fivethirtyeight.com who have produced a predicted final Championship table which shows Blues ending up 19th.

Lee Bowyer ’s men are also predicted to reach 51 points - one place and one point lower than last term.

However, they have been free from the annual relegation scrap and - while nothing is yet guaranteed - look set to avoid the last day drama for a second successive campaign.

In the real table Blues currently stand in 20th place, two spots but a full 14 points clear of the drop zone. If Barnsley were to win both their games in hand Blues would be just eight clear with 11 games to go.

That eventuality might have one or two sensing the all too familiar end-of-season anxiety - but this prediction sees them well clear of that - estimating a 13 point buffer.

And even if Reading were notionally handed back their six points and Derby their 21 Blues would still be well clear, albeit the Rams would leapfrog them and push Blues in to 20th.

On one hand it would be difficult to paint that as a positive campaign - but on the other it would at least go down as a drama-free season of transition during which time Blues have tried to manage some of the bigger earners off their books.

Further up the table Fulham and Bournemouth are virtually guaranteed to go up automatically but West Brom are said to have just a five per cent chance of reaching the play-offs now.

Sheffield United, Blackburn, Huddersfield and Luton Town are predicted to end up in the top six.